How Chelsea rated I How Liverpool rated I Chelsea give Anfield the Blues I Liverpool on the ropes after Ivanovic one-two I Hiddink shows the way to beat Liverpool I Cascarino: Chelsea's ambition surprised everyone I Mourinho's pupils produce something extra special I Ivanovic: an unlikely hero emerges from the shadows I Graphic: how Essien kept Gerrard quiet I Graphic: how Chelsea exposed Liverpool's zonal marking

When the draw was made, officials from both clubs admitted that the latest meeting of Liverpool and Chelsea was about as welcome as another edition of The NeverEnding Story, but these engrossing ties should be rebranded as Tales of the Unexpected. Just when the script is feeling turgidly predictable, a fresh twist emerges.

After the “ghost goal”, the own goal and the no-goals, last night’s instalment contained perhaps the most bizarre plotline yet. Not even his nearest and dearest would have predicted a starring role for Branislav Ivanovic, a little-known Serbia defender who was so anonymous after signing from Lokomotiv Moscow last year that, despite being fully fit, it took him eight months to be given his debut.

John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba remain the pin-up boys, but in some respects Ivanovic is a suitable symbol for a club in a curious state of transition.

As Roman Abramovich’s spending has dried up and the glamour of José Mourinho’s movie-star looks has faded, so Chelsea have reinvented themselves as hard-working overachievers; Wimbledon with better players. In such circumstances there could have been no one more appropriate to score the goals that gave them control of the tie than Ivanovic, who was making only his second Champions League appearance for the club.

The remarkable thing about Chelsea is that they are managing to compete at the highest level, if not quite with half a team, then certainly without the full complement. Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda continue to frustrate despite the odd eyecatching contribution, Alex looked a liability and even Drogba was short of his best, missing two great first-half chances before giving his side one foot in the semi-finals by scoring the third. With a couple of decent wingers to call upon, Chelsea would have been booking their flights to Barcelona long before then.

Much of this sustained competitiveness is down to the inbuilt professionalism and team spirit of Mourinho’s men, which has become deeply ingrained at the club and spread to other players. In other workplaces — and not just in the self-centred world of football — Ivanovic would have given up the ghost a long time ago and begun sulking on the sidelines, but at Chelsea such self-indulgence is not permitted.

The defender, 25, dealt comfortably with the threat of Albert Riera, but it was his devastating contribution at the other end that will live long in the memory as he ran on to corners from Malouda and Lampard to send headers past José Manuel Reina.

Guus Hiddink, the interim manager, also deserves huge credit for restoring self-belief to players who were beaten 2-0 on their last visit to Anfield in February, prompting many to ponder why the Dutchman would walk away in the summer when he has achieved so much already.

Chelsea insist that there is no chance of Hiddink, also the Russia coach, continuing to combine two jobs next season, but if the history of the Abramovich era — and these fixtures in particular — has told us anything, it is that nothing is impossible.